Joyality

This is a guest post by my friends and colleagues Eshana Bragg and Rachel Taylor who co-created the wonderful course that is Joyality.

Late last year I did the course as a participant and was so inspired, I decided to train as a facilitator. I will be co-facilitating with the next round, due to start in Byron Bay Monday, February 20, 2017. Details below. It will still be possible to start on Feb 27 th https://www.joyality.org/what-is-joyality/ and there will also be an online course starting Tuesdays which you can join if Monday doesn’t suit or you don’t live in Byron Shire.

\joy• al• i• tee/

NOUN

the quality or state of feeling deep and encompassing joy; a feeling of wholeness, oneness and exuberance for life

Joyality is that feeling you get when every cell of your being is joyful, peaceful, and alive. It is that feeling that you can’t quite put words to, because they could never do it justice. It is deeply related to beauty, love, and the pure exuberance for being alive, but exactly what it is will always be something of a mystery.

Joyality is different for everyone as we are all unique individuals whose souls are sparked by a diversity of people, places, and activities.

Joyality is also different than happiness. The word “happiness” comes from “happenstance”- it is something that happens and then is gone, it is dependent on circumstance. Joy is something altogether different. Once joy enters a person it never leaves, it is always accessible to us in the recesses of our hearts and souls, even if we do not feel joyful at that moment. This is because joy is part of the eternal, it is one of the core energies of existence. Think of Joy as one giant entity – the joy in me is connected to, the same as, the joy in you. I may experience it at different times or due to different things, but it stems from the same pot of joy.

Joyality is about developing your relationship with that pot of joy, learning to access it in the darkest of times, and using it to create positive change in the world. We believe that this joy is more accessible if we dive deeply into life. This means fully embracing the wonder of existence, and also engaging with the troublespots, addressing them, and striving to make the world a better place.

Ignoring the dangers, the crises, the threats and filling our lives up with ‘stuff’, with entertainment, with busyness, does not bring us joy. These things distract us from the personal and planetary problems we face. While they may bring us fleeting happiness, they do not satisfy our deep and gnawing desire for joy.